Basic Essentials - for a Well-Mannered Companion
Duration: 6 Weeks (One hour session per week)
Class Overview –
Transform your relationship with your dog in just six weeks! This course is designed to provide you and your canine companion with the essential life skills needed for a harmonious home and safe public outings. We focus on clear communication, impulse control, and focus, helping your dog learn to listen even when distractions are present.
What You Will Learn –
Each week, we build upon foundational behaviors to ensure long-term success:
- Engagement & Focus: Master the Name Game and Watch Me to ensure your dog checks in with you first, regardless of the environment.
- Essential Manners: Reliable Sit and Down positions for everyday management.
- Impulse Control: Teach your dog patience with Wait/Stay at doors and meal times, and the life-saving Leave It command for avoiding dangerous items.
- Real-World Reliability: Develop a dependable Come (Recall) so you can enjoy more off-leash freedom safely.
- Walking Skills: Learn the foundations of Loose Leash Walking to make your daily strolls a stress-free experience.
- Boundaries: Use the Place command to give your dog a “home base” where they can settle calmly while you eat dinner or welcome guests.
Benefits of This Class –
- Enhanced Safety: Basic commands like “come” and “stay” are vital for preventing accidents.
- Mental Stimulation: Training provides a vital cognitive workout, reducing boredom-based destructive behaviors at home.
- Social Confidence: Working in a group environment helps your dog remain calm and focused around other people and dogs.
- Stronger Bond: Spend quality time learning a common language, building mutual trust and respect.
What to Bring –
- A standard 4 or 6-foot leash (no retractables).
- A flat buckle collar or harness.
- High-value, soft training treats.
- A copy of your dog’s current vaccination records.
Intermediate Skills: Flex-Attend Dog Training
Intermediate Skills: Flex-Attend Dog Training
Elevate your dog’s reliability in our Intermediate Skills Drop-In Class, specifically designed for busy owners who want professional results without the rigid commitment of a multi-week course. This class bridges the gap between basic manners and advanced off-leash control, focusing on precision and focus in real-world environments.
What You’ll Learn –
Our curriculum ensures you can drop in at any time and still master essential intermediate behaviors, including but not limited to::
- Impulse Control: Polish Sit Politely for petting, Meet and Greets, and extended Place commands.
- Precision Handling: Developing spatial awareness with “Pivot,” “Front,” and “Back Up.”
- Real-World Reliability: Fine-tune Loose Leash Walking and Stand for exams while proofing against distractions.
- The “Three Ds”: Proofing all behaviors against increased Distance, Distractions, and Duration.
Class Format & Pricing –
Enjoy the ultimate flexibility—attend whenever your schedule allows! Pre-registration for specific dates is required to ensure we have space for everyone.
- Single Class Drop-In: Pay as you go for maximum flexibility.
- Discounted Training Packages: Purchase a multi-class pass to lower your cost per session and stay committed to your dog’s progress.
Skill Level: Intermediate. Dogs should have a basic understanding of sit, down, and stay before attending.
Class is held each Thursday 6-7 pm
Advanced Drop In Class - (Ongoing)
Instructor approval needed to attend
Refine Skills in the Real World
Take your training beyond the living room! Our weekly drop-in classes are designed for dogs who have mastered the basics and are ready to proof their skills in real-world environments. Held at various dog-friendly locations throughout the community—including local parks and climate-controlled indoor venues—this class focuses on reliability amidst distractions.
What We Focus On –
- Advanced Reliability: Strengthening Sit/Stay and Down/Stay in busy environments.
- Public Manners: Navigating crowds, storefronts, and urban obstacles calmly.
- Reliable Recalls: Building a “velcro” dog even when the world is interesting.
- Loose Leash Walking: Master the walk regardless of the setting.
Flexible Attendance to Suit Your Life –
No need to commit to a rigid 6-week block. Attend every week to sharpen skills or drop in whenever your schedule allows.
Investment & Registration:
- Pay-As-You-Go: Single class rate for ultimate flexibility.
- Class Credit Packages: Purchase a bundle of credits to reduce your cost per session.
- Requirements: This is an intermediate-level class. Instructor approval and pre-registration are required to ensure a safe and productive environment for all teams.
Ready to join the adventure?
Classes are held every Tuesday @ 10 am Contact us for Instructor Approval and reserve your spot!
AKC Canine Good Citizen - 6 week class
The AKC Canine Good Citizen helps your dog develop good manners, while forming a closer bond between you and your faithful companion. Through training and conditioning, your dog builds stronger social skills—making him a wonderful member of the family. By being more relaxed in public places and in the presence of other dogs, your family pet will be a welcomed part of the community.
AKC Community Canine Class - Length of Class - the 6 weeks
Prerequisite - AKC Canine Good Citizen
The AKC Community Canine is the advanced level of the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen Program. Dogs who pass the AKC Community Canine test earn the official AKC Community Canine title that is designated by the letters “CGCA” (Advanced CGC) on the dog’s title record.
Whereas Canine Good Citizen test are most often tested in a ring and situations are simulated (e.g. 3 helpers serve as a “crowd”), the AKC Community Canine test is done in real situations including at shows, classes and in the community.
Age Requirements for Dogs: There is no age limit for dogs taking the AKC Community Canine test. However, before taking the test, dogs must have a Canine Good Citizen test on record at AKC.
AKC Urban CGC - Length of Class - 4 weeks
Prerequisite - AKC Canine Good Citizen
AKC Urban CGC requires that the dog demonstrate CGC skills and beyond in a setting that includes traffic, crowds, noises, smells and other distractions that are present in a city or town. As with Canine Good Citizen, AKC Urban CGC is a 10-step test of skills that dogs must pass to earn the official AKC Urban CGC title. This is a title that appears on the dog’s title record at AKC.
Puppy Manners - Drop In (Ongoing)
This class is appropriate for all puppies 12 weeks – 6 months of age, you’ll be able to get information on all of your puppy-raising questions including house-training, chewing, and the most effective way to teach practical skills such as coming when called, sit, down and leash manners.
Rally Obedience - (Drop In)
Rally is a sport in which the dog and handler complete a course that has been designed by the rally judge. The judge tells the handler to begin, and the dog and handler proceed at their own pace through a course of designated stations (10 – 20, depending on the level). Each of these stations has a sign providing instructions regarding the next skill that is to be performed. Scoring is not as rigorous as traditional obedience
C.L.A.S.S., or Canine Life and Social Skills
C.L.A.S.S., or Canine Life and Social Skills, is an educational program to promote training focused on the use of positive reinforcement and to strengthen relationships between humans and their canine companions. C.L.A.S.S. is a three-level evaluation for dog owners to demonstrate the real-life skills of their dogs, as well as a knowledge assessment of the owners’ understanding of basic dog handling and care.
The three levels of the program are named after human university degree programs: the B.A. for Dogs™ (Bachelor’s level), the M.A. for Dogs™ (Master’s level), and the Ph.D. for Dogs™ (Doctorate level). Length of each class – 6 weeks $225.
B.A. for Dogs™ (Bachelor’s level) – The skills in each level vary in the level of difficulty and distractions. For example, at the B.A. level, we allow the use of treats as rewards after the completion of an exercise, and some of the “real life” skills that are assessed are waiting at the door, drop it, and settle.
M.A. for Dogs™ (Master’s level) – In the M.A. level, dogs are asked to walk past several dogs of different sizes, breeds and genders, to wait in the car before exiting, and to allow the student to handle various parts of their body.
Ph.D. for Dogs™ (Doctorate level) – In the Ph.D. level, students must carry everyday objects such as a cardboard box or paper sack while walking their dogs on a loose leash, ask their dogs to back up, and have their dog demonstrate table manners during a simulated dinner session. Each level also allows for two “bonus rounds” that students may elect to try or not with their dog.
Fun and Games Classes:
Tricks 1 - Length of Class - 4 weeks
Ready for a new challenge? You and your dog will learn 7 new tricks in this fun and engaging class. Enjoy learning all the elements necessary to master multi-step tricks like Paws Up, Spin, Crawl, Roll Over, Shake, Jump (Hoop), Figure 8’s (Legs).